


Doing The Best I Can

by kitkat0723



Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: A peek at life before LA, Asthama attack, Brother-Sister Relationships, Eddie Diaz Week 2021, Eddie is stressed, Fatherhood, Gen, Hospital Visit, Not Beta Read, References to asthma, Sick Kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29777145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitkat0723/pseuds/kitkat0723
Summary: Christopher ends up in the hospital and Eddie is stressed.
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz & Sophia Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188524
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	Doing The Best I Can

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Eddie Diaz Week 2021 Day 1 of 7. At least I hope. 
> 
> Today's prompt was "I Have No Idea What I'm Doing" + fatherhood, so I wanted to write something about what happened before the fight with Eddie's parents. And right after Shannon left. So this happened. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this and hopefully, tomorrow's fic will be better.

Eddie double-checked the bookbag as he and Christopher waited for the discharge nurse to come and see them. He was pretty sure he was going to miss something. His mother would complain, of course when she came to pick Chris up in two hours, but well he’d just deal with it. Shannon had been gone for three months now. It was everything he could do not to call her mother’s and tell her she needed to come home. He’d wanted time to get used to civilian life. She wanted time to be herself. He was letting her have that time. Of course, that meant he had to work, finish out the last of the discharge process from the army. Fill out VA forms, and raise their son. Their son had special needs, who needed extra care. Eddie took a deep breath and stepped over to the bed, running his hand over Christopher’s head. His little man was sleeping peacefully now, thanks to the breathing treatments from the E.R. It was so fucked, that a kid as sweet as his had all these issues, but Eddie was dealing with it, whether Eddie’s mother thought so or not.    
Eddie sat down, holding one of Christopher’s hands in his. Besides being stuck in that sandbox of hell, nothing had ever scared him like tonight. He and Chris were just playing around, getting both of their required exercises done when Chris started coughing and couldn’t stop. Eddie was an army medic. Knowledge about how to treat bullet wounds and how to extract shrapnel without nicking another vein could be processed in seconds. He didn’t know, and couldn’t think how to care for his own kid when faced with a sudden onset asthma attack. One call to 9-1-1 and an ambulance ride later, here they sat. Waiting to leave. Eddie wondering how much his parents were going to lord this over him, and how much he just wanted them to shut up and let him handle all of this his own way. Eddie closed his eyes, trying to get his own breathing under control. Freaking out would do him no good.    
His hand itched to grab his cellphone and call Shannon and ask her what the hell was she thinking, but she said she needed time. So he was letting her take it. He could, and had to handle it. That’s all there was to it. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he pulled the phone from his pocket and texted his little sister for a ride home, silently praying she wouldn’t call their mother.    
When she said she was on the way, he only hoped they’d be out of there sooner rather than later. Christopher stirred, so Eddie was right back on his feet, smoothing a hand down his hair, speaking low and soft to him. He found it always calmed the both of them down, to have small moments like this. Of course, Christopher had more moments like this with his grandparents rather than Eddie because Eddie had too much stuff to do and not enough time. He was trying, he really was.    
His phone vibrated in his pocket, just as the charge nurse come in, all smiles and sunny cheer. “How are we doing?”    
Eddie shrugged, his hand still on Christopher’s head. “Better. Sleeping, now.”    
“That’s great. After everything, I’m sure he’s worn out. I’ve got your instructions here, make sure to follow up with his pediatrician in one to three days. Come back if it gets bad again. And try not to let him overexert himself again.” She passed him some papers and Eddie took them. “You are all set.”    
“Thank you.”    
“You’re welcome, hun. You did all the right things.”    
Eddie felt the knot that lodged itself in his gut from the minute he woke up from one nightmare and into another at finding his wife gone, loosen.    
**“I have no idea what I’m doing** anymore.” He was honest with this nurse for reasons he couldn’t figure out.    
She stepped over and patted his arm. “I think you’re doing great. You take that boy of yours home and love on him and he’ll love you back.”    
After another smile, she left, leaving the door open. Eddie reached into his pocket, checking his phone. Sophia was outside waiting. Grabbing the bookbag from where it lay, he slipped the discharge papers inside, he’ll file them later, and slung it over his shoulder. Reaching down for his son, Christopher stirred a little, but Eddie coaxed him back to sleep with soothing sounds. Grabbing the crutches from they were leaning against the bed, he left the room. Christopher’s head was resting on his shoulders and he hoped his sister wouldn’t say anything on the drive home, knowing she might. Eddie had no clue what he was doing with this whole dad thing, but he’d figure it out, simply because he had to.    
***   
Sophia helped him settle into the backseat, the seatbelt a little tight, but Eddie didn’t mind. She didn’t say anything as she drove across town. Once back at home and settling Christopher into his room, then went into the kitchen. The dinner dishes from last night still sat piled up in the sink, along with the laundry that needed to be done. His mother would be here in a few hours and all Eddie wanted to do was sleep. He made coffee instead.    
“I can do it if you want to sit down, Eddie,” Sophia told him as she leaned against the counter.    
He shook his head as he measured out water, then coffee, and hit the start button. “It’s fine. I got it.”    
They talked quietly as they waited for the coffee to finish. After he made them each a cup, he went to get dressed for work. His mother showed up a little bit later, throwing everything he’d done wrong the night before over his head. Instead of listening, he left, knowing he’d be late, and also knowing he might not know everything he was doing, but that he’d been there for his son when it mattered. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/Kudos make my day. Come scream with me on Tumblr @kitkat0723


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